One Book, One Community, Benton County

If you are looking ahead- April is Share your Wealth. NEVER in a million years when we were planning these out did we think it would mean QUITE what it could mean in April! We need to support our local small businesses more than ever this next month and not just the businesses but EACH OTHER! Wealth doesn’t have to be money! Maybe it’s as simple as checking in on a neighbor over the phone or reconnecting with a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Maybe it’s as simple as loaning a book or having a conversation with someone is NOT in your household and needs an adult conversation. Maybe this is a great time to CLEAN OUT our houses! There are several young grads in our district who count on our community support each year to get them on their way with pots and pans, nearly new sheets, etc. Do you have “stuff” you don’t need anymore or extras you held onto? DO NOT be overwhelmed when cleaning- start small, one closet, one drawer at a time. You can do it! Share your wealth!!

Alright, we have NOT fallen off the face of the earth and while we were trying so hard to have some really cool things lined up the last week of March….I guess it wouldn’t have mattered as they would all be getting cancelled. HOWEVER, here is our new idea! One of the activities we wanted to do was to have a tour with all the murals around town. What is the story behind them? I am not from Vinton and don’t know the meaning/story behind them and from what I hear, not everyone from Vinton does either. So if you have a story or something to say about the mural, please comment. If you have ANY attractions around Vinton that you want to know about or share your knowledge about- please post a picture of it and share away! We are all stuck at home, let’s make this fun!!

Do you know that this is not just the end of a year? This is also the end of a decade! So don’t just plan dreams or goals for 2020. What do you want to accomplish in the NEXT TEN years? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you see our community in 10 years?

Don’t forget to DREAM BIG!

We had a great time rollerskating! We felt like a kindergartner as we remembered how to skate and felt like we might be 80 the next day! It was a great time to reminisce to the oldies!

The Caroling was also a huge success and the kids from HappyTime loved it! Thanks to all who enjoyed or partook in the activity!

Finally, Elf! We had a decent turnout at the movie last Sunday night! Vinton Popcorn had several delicious choices of popcorn to choose from including freshly popped to cheese and caramel! There are many bags for sale around town so they would appreciate your support! Plus it’s really good!

Just because this challenge is over, don’t stop acting like a kid! Get EXCITED! Christmas is only 12 days away!

Remember that this is the start of a new year, a new chance. The activities for January are-

January 1-15- MOVE IT! Get active! No junk food! Kick a habit! Take care of U!
January 16-31- Sing Karaoke! Get up there!

We’ll be having a planning meeting after the Holidays for activities for 2020! We’ll keep you posted but hope you’ll join us!

DREAM BIG- Share your dreams. Make a dream board with your goals for 2020! Anything is possible in the upcoming year! GO AFTER IT!

Have you been sledding, skating, caroling, to a movie, or just so excited for Christmas you couldn’t stand it lately?  This is the year to try it again!  There are several activities already in the works.   Sunday, Dec 1 is Roller Skating at the Skate Center for anyone over 18.  Come on out and listen to the songs of your childhood while you reminisce the good old days.  Then on Friday, Dec 6- Happy Time has lined up caroling for ALL ages!  Meet us at Farmers Savings Bank starting at 2:30 for some fun times caroling at the local businesses downtown.   Sunday, Dec 8 the Just US group is collaborating with Vinton Popcorn and hosting a movie at 6 pm at the High School Auditorium.  We can’t tell you what family favorite movie this is but a little elf said you won’t want to miss it! 

The 2^nd Activity for November is to SHOP in REAL LIFE.  What does that mean?  What this means is go into our local stores and visit with the businessowners.  Think about who lives in our community, raises their children in our community and has a business here, support them.  Our local businesses are constantly being asked to support our school events from sports posters to Post Prom; they are asked to support youth activities, donate to silent auctions, etc.   When you shop online does that store support your local community?  Sunday, November 24 is the downtown open houses from 12-4 and November 30^th is Small Business Saturday – have you been inside our local stores lately?  There are many advantages of stopping in our local stores in real life versus those out of town or online; for one- all the tax money stays right HERE in Benton County.   For those of you who already shop local- THANK YOU!  Thank you for utilizing our local lawyers, retail shops downtown, restaurants, insurance companies, furniture/appliance stores, wood working facilities, auto dealerships, gyms, gas stations, etc- THANK YOU!  Thank you for finding the value of small town living. 

It’s not too late to send your thank you’s! Get them out yet today! We love hearing from everyone! Thanks for sharing!

7 thank you’s plus some birthday thank yous that we were motivated to finish! What an awesome idea to think about all the people that make your day great and that deserve a note of gratitude.